Crown Seeks Longer Sentence for Dakta Green

By
Ian Steward, Stuff New Zealand
on September 27, 2011

Dakta Green: The &quot;daktory&quot; founder was jailed for eight months on drugs charges.The Crown is appealing for a longer sentence for a marijuana activist who set up a “daktory” in West Auckland where cannabis users could smoke in peace.

Dakta Green, 61, formerly known as Ken Morgan, was jailed in June for eight months after being convicted of a representative charge of selling cannabis, possession of cannabis and allowing a premises to be used for commission of a crime against the Misuse of Drugs Act.

The Solicitor General is appealing the sentence in the Court of Appeal, sitting in Auckland this morning.

A small crowd of Green supporters picketed outside the court this morning, smoking marijuana, chanting “Free Dakta Green,” and holding placards reading “Cannabis use is health issue – it is not a crime” and “Cannabis is a medicine.”

One of the supporters, named Dakta Blaze, said the daktory in Delta Ave, New Lynn was still operating, giving people a place to smoke marijuana and “come together to talk about changing the law”.

It was also the headquarters of the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party.

The crowd of activists were buoyed by support from an unlikely quarter after ACT leader Don Brash came out in favour of decriminalising marijuana at the weekend.

“I think it’s really good,” Blaze said.

“If more politicians would do their job, I wouldn’t have to. It’s an interesting move.

“It’s good to see someone doing it – hopefully he’ll be the first of many.”

Green, who changed his name in 2008, is the Waitakere regional co-ordinator for NORML – the National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

He stood for the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party in the 2009 Mt Albert by-election and he is the driver of Mary Jane the Cannabus – a mobile marijuana reform education centre.